Anode salvaging



' sept.z3',1941g f GWV'EALE 2,256,820

ANODE SALVAGING Filed DeC. 4, 1937 ATTORNEYS -Peiemed sept. 23, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 ANODE SIALVAGING e George W. v eale, Grass Lake, Mich., assignor to Eaton Manufacturing Company,

Cleveland,

Ohio, a corporation of Ohio y Appneeuen December 4, 1937, sel-rel No. 1,113,103

ing out thisl salvaging method comprising an elongated electrically conducting membefadapted to be suspended in an electroplating bath and having means for mounting the anode stubs thereon in spaced relation.-

A further object 'of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive device for salvaging the stubs of anodes having threaded openings therein, comprising an elongated electrically conducting member adapted to be suspended in an electroplating bath and having pins projecting therefrom which are threaded and are formed of the same material as the stubs, and upon which the stubs are adapted to be mounted.

Yet another object o'fr my inventionis to provide an anode stub salvaging device of the type mentioned invwhich the electrically conducting member has \a protective coating thereon of substantially electrolytically-inactive material.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing electroplating apparatus with which my salvaging device and method may be used.

which remains after the Aanode has been eaten 4 away in the electroplating bath.

Fig. 4 is an end view oi the stub, and

Fig. 5 is an elevational view, with parts broken away, showing "a novel device for salvaging theanode stubs, 'and which may be used in carrying out my novel method. e

M ore detailed reference will now be madeto the accompanying drawing in describing my novel device and method for salvaglng anode stubs. Although the drawing shows what I now (Cl. 20d- 288) device, it should be understoodthat the invention may be embodied in various other devices and in various` other steps of procedure than those hereinafter specifically described.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing I show electroplating equipment with which my novel salvaging device and `method' may be used. This equipment may include a suitable tank l0 adapted to contain an electroplating solution or bath Il, and electrically conducting bars l! and i3 extending across the top of the tank and from which the anodes i4 and articles l5 to be plated may be suspended, respectively. Conductors I6 leading froma suitables'ource of current supply are connected with the bars l2 and I3 for passing an electric current through the anodes, the bath, and the articles to be plated.

The anodes Il suspended from the bar I2 may be pf a type commonly used in electroplating work and, as shown in Fig. 2, may comprise an elongated metal bar of generally oval substantially uniform cross section although bars of any shape may be used. The bars may .have a threaded opening i8 in the upper end thereof adapted `toreceive a hook 20 by which the anode is suspended in the bath. As is Welly understood in this art, the metal of the anode corresponds with the metal desired to be plated on the articles, for example, the anodes may be bars of nickel. 7

After the anodes I4 have remained suspended in the electroplating bath for a period of time they become eaten away until only a stub 2l remains on the hook 20. When this condition oc-` curs .the anode stubs are removed from the bath and are replaced by new anode bars, or by anodes formed by use of, that is, embodying my novel salvaging. device to be presently described. After removal of the anodes from the plating bath the stubs 2| are disconnected from the hooks 20. Heretofore these stubs have been disposed of as junk metal, althoughsome attempts have been made to make further use of the stubs in electroplating by suspending them 5 in a basket in the electroplating bath.

By my invention the soluble portions or anode stubs 2l can be substantially completely used up in the electroplating bath in a simple, eiilcient and economical manner. In carrying out this salvaging of anode stubs. I mount a plurality of the stubs in spacedA relation on an electrically conducting member` or rack and then suspend the assembly thus formed in the electroplating bath as an anode. 'I'hese anode assemblies rcan regard to be the preferred form of my salvaging' 5,5 be substituted for some or all oftfle anode bars I4 shown in Fig. 1, and in this way the stub anodes can be substantially completely used up.

In Fig. 5 of the drawing I show such an anode assembly 22 as embodying my salvaging device and in which the electrically conducting member may comprise an elongated metal bar 23 of square or other suitable cross sectional shape. This member may have a threaded opening 24 in its upper end corresponding with the threaded opening of the anode bars I4 and in which a hook 25 may be mounted for suspending' the salvaging device in the electroplating bath. At spaced points along the member 23 I provide devices for mounting the anode stubs 2l thereon, and for these devices I prefer to use pins or studsl 26 which are screwed into threaded openings of the I also form the pins or studs 26 from the same metal as that of which the anodes I4 are formed, thatis to say, when the anodes are formed of nickel, these pins will likewise be formed of nickel. In mounting the anode stubs on the salvaging 4device or rack it may be desirable to prevent the stubs from engaging the protective rubber covering 21, and for this purpose I provide a washer 28 of Bakelite or other suitable material around the base of each pin projection.

The member 23' of my salvaging device or rack may be made of a length to accommodate any desired number'of the spaced stub-mounting pins 26, but I prefer to make the device of such size or capacity that wnen stubs of the size usually available are mounted on the pins, the assembly will have a corrosion area or corrosive action substantially equal to that of a standard full size anode. When a desired number of anode stubs 2| have been mounted on the salvaging device in spaced relation, as shown in Fig. 5, the assembly 22 thus formed is suspended as an anode in the electroplating bath and, as the electroplating operation continues, the anode stubs will be substantially completely used up, whereupon the salvaging device may be removed from the solution and another set of anode stubs mounted thereon.

From the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing it will now be readily seen that I have provided a novel method as well as a simple and economical device for salvaging anode stubs. By use of my novel device and method the anode stubs can be substantially completely `ased up in the electroplating bath and a substantial saving thus eiected in electroplating work. My device and method for anode stub salvaging also permits corrosion or eating away of the anode material lof the stubs at substantially the same rate or speed as for standard new anodes, and this permits a substantially standard or uniform speed of corrosion to be maintained which has not been possible with salvaging methods and devices heretofore available.

While I have illustrated and described my novel salvaging device and method in a somewhat detailed manner, it will be understood, of course,

that I do not wish to be limited to -the precise form of construction and steps of procedure herein disclosed, but regard my invention as including such changes and modifications as do not constitute a departure from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:l

An anode structure of the character described comprising an elongated metal member encased in` a protective rubber covering and having threaded openings at points spaced therealong, a plurality of threaded pins screwed into said openings and having their threaded outer ends extending beyond the rubber covering, and soluble portions having threaded openings therein and being connected with said elongated member in abutting relation thereto by being screwed onto the pins, said pins being made of the same kind of material as said soluble portions and said soluble portions being of maximum thickness adjacent the end thereof abutting said elongated member whereby the soluble portions will remain connected with the pins until` they are substantially used up.

` v, GEORGE W. VEALE. 

